Remnants of the Beast Curse
by boredandmoody
Summary: Ben has never been particularly envious of anyone. He was, after all, the son of the former rulers of the United States of Auradon and the current king. It wasn't until a few months after his coronation that he felt his first sparks of jealousy. / Or, the one where Mal befriends a guy who seems more of her type, and Ben gets jealous and a little insecure. (MxB,brief mention of ExD)
1. Jealousy

**A/N: This is my first Descendants fic and it probably won't be my last. I just can't get these two out of my head. Warning: there is suggestive language. Nothing too explicit, but it is there.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants.**

 _ **Summary: Ben had never been particularly envious of anyone. He was, after all, the son of the former rulers of the United States of Auradon. Envy nor jealousy were feelings that were frowned upon in Auradon, and Ben was taught early on that he needed to rise above those feelings. However, it wasn't until a few months after his coronation that he felt his first sparks of jealousy. / Or, the one where Mal starts to make new friends. More importantly, she befriends a guy that seems to be more her type, and Ben gets jealous and a little insecure.**_

 _Remnants of the Beast curse_

 _..._

Months after Ben's coronation and the defeat of Maleficent, things started to settle down. People had gotten used to Ben's style of ruling, and they had lost some of their fear for the four descendants of the villains. Jay was especially liked by the student body for taking the team for victory. Evie was known as the up and coming fashion designer, while people tended to generally stay out of Mal's way. They weren't being intentionally mean, but with her magic and her relationship with the king… people just tended to avoid getting on her bad side. Mal understood and she was grateful for the space they were giving her.

Ben, on the other hand, was suddenly swamped with work and school. He was finishing his last year at Auradon Prep, while juggling kingly duties. Luckily, his classes were mostly electives that didn't require much effort. He had thought ahead and had taken extra classes during the year before and some during the summer. Now, he was mostly going to school so that he'd be able to see Mal and the others. Even with that, though, it seemed that his time with Mal was getting shorter and shorter.

The descendants were getting along with everyone just fine, and in fact, they had made new friends. Lonnie and Jane were now always with Evie and Mal, while Jay and Carlos had made friends with some of the Tourney team. Mal, however, seemed to fit in with kids who were not to be the examples of goodness.

Like everything, goodness was not something that you were or weren't. While no one was truly bad or evil, they were not all completely good. There were kids who skipped class or drank or missed curfew, and now Evie, Mal, Jay, and Carlos all had fallen somewhere on the scale.

Mal had made a friend in her art class. He drew tags, and was quite impressed with Mal's. Mal was just surprised that there were people in Auradon who weren't star students.

…

Ben knocked on Mal's door and smoothed out his suit jacket as he waited. A second later, Evie answered the door with her usual bright grin.

"King Ben, what a lovely surprise." She playfully curtseyed, before walking over to her table covered in fabric and designs. "Are you looking for Mal?"

"Yes, have you seen her?" He asked, while he fingered some of the blue satin hanging off of the table.

Evie nodded as she looked over one of her drawings. "She left a couple of minutes ago with Ian. I think they were going to the dining hall… I don't really remember, though. I tend to block out their artsy talk."

Ben cocked his head and motioned to the table. "Isn't this artsy?"

Evie shook her head. "Oh, no, they don't talk about the latest fashion trends or sewing techniques. They talk about spray paint and design logos… Apparently he was really impressed by her 'long live evil' tags."

"I'm going to go see if I can join them. This is longest break I've had, and I was hoping to see her." Ben explained.

Evie smiled up at him and said, "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."

…

Ben found Mal quickly – it was hard to miss her messy purple hair and leather jacket. His mood brightened almost immediately, right before he felt an unfamiliar mix of anger and sadness. Mal was throwing back her head laughing, while Ian sat across from her with a crooked grin and a warm look in his eyes. He almost stalked off in anger, but he decided that he wasn't going to let this get in the way. He was always so busy and this was the only break he'd had with Mal this week.

Ben felt a hand on his shoulder and he found himself looking at Doug. "Hey, Ben… Are you okay?"

Ben's eyes flickered from Doug to the pair at the table, and he found himself nodding stiffly. "I'm just seeing my girlfriend enjoying herself with another guy. I'm great – fantastic, even."

" _Okay_ ," Doug stressed the word as he took in the jealousy in the king's eyes. "Let's go get something to eat, and then we'll join Mal. It'll give you time to calm down."

As they walked to counter covered in food, Ben seemed to tremble with anger. "We haven't been able to see each other in a week. Does she not miss me, Doug? I can't seem to get her out of my head, but clearly she doesn't have that problem."

Doug shook his head. "She does, Ben. You can see it in her eyes. He is just a friend, and a nice distraction."

Ben groaned. "That makes it sound like she's replacing me."

Doug sighed. This was not going as expected. Ben was normally so level-headed and understanding. However, he understood. Ben was under a lot of pressure as the new King, and he did have a bit of "Beast traits" in him. There were moments where Ben showed more his dad's side with higher levels of aggression, but they were few and far in between.

Ben had put some fruit and a burger on his plate before moving on to grab a juice, but he was still slightly trembling.

"Do you think you can handle sitting with her?" Doug asked as he grabbed an apple. He had already eaten, but he couldn't leave Ben alone when he was like this.

Ben nodded. "I want to talk to her."

Doug led Ben to Mal's table before taking a seat next to Ian. He ignored Ian's stare that was digging into his side as he greeted Mal. Mal's eyes visibly brightened at Ben's arrival. She basically threw herself at him as soon as he set his food down. Ben slipped an arm around her waist and held her tightly against him.

"Join me after dinner?" Ben murmured in her ear. She nodded against him and breathed him in. It had been a very long, long week for the both of them. They pulled away, and Ben gave her a quick peck on her cheek. She blushed, and he grinned at the sight. If Ian had even thought about his girlfriend, he was sure those thoughts were gone now.

"Hey, Ian, how are you?" He greeted Ian lightly as he popped a grape into his mouth. His hands were itching to hold Mal's, but unfortunately he had to eat first. Mal, as if she was thinking the same thing, inched closer to him on the bench seat before settling her hand on his thigh. Normally, Mal wouldn't be one for public displays of affection, but the week seemed to have a toll on her too.

"Fine," Ian muttered.

Mal furrowed her eyebrows at his sudden change in mood. Doug, on the other hand, was watching the exchange with great interest. Ben seemed in control, and Ian shrank back as he got the message loud and clear.

Doug wanted to start a conversation with him, and while they shared a class Doug knew that Ian didn't particularly care about school. He chose to go with art.

"How's art class? Have you gotten any interesting projects?" Art students were always used for various projects around the city, and he figured that this was his safest bet.

Ian eyed him carefully, while Ben took the opportunity. Ben smiled at Mal and asked, "How was your day?"

"Long," one of her hands remained on his thigh while the other reached over to grab a strawberry. "I'm sure yours was much more interesting."

"Mmm… It wasn't interesting, really. I had to read through countless petitions today. I even had to re-read some parts because my mind kept wandering." Ben grinned softly as he saw her trying to fight off a smile as she chewed on her strawberry.

She perched her chin on his shoulder playfully, "oh yeah? What had you so distracted?"

He raised an eyebrow at her flirting. She'd never flirted so openly with him. It was usually playful teasing, while he flirted with her mercilessly while she fought off her attraction. He couldn't tease her – she'd win that game fairly quickly. Flirting, though, often left her speechless and red-faced.

"My mind was almost entirely on my lovely girlfriend that I hadn't seen in about a week… See, I've missed her terribly. Do you think she missed me?" Mal's eyes were wide and she was so obviously fighting off the urge to kiss him. Her eyes went from his eyes to his lips constantly. Her eyes went a shade darker quite quickly, and then the urge struck him. But they were in front of kids of all ages, not to mention, he was the king and there were certain things he couldn't do in public.

Like for example, he couldn't exactly pull Mal into his lap and pull that bottom lip right between his like he wanted to. And _god_ , he wanted to.

 _Calm down,_ he told himself, _what is with me lately? Anger and the strongest sense of desire…_

She pulled away and he reminded himself that it was needed. She didn't remove her hand, though, and it was like she was burning a hole through his pants. He was on fire.

"I suppose she did. I think she may have missed your little crown pajamas, or should I say crown everything?" Her green eyes lightened as they sparkled with mischief. He felt his smile grow and the sudden desire dissipate.

Doug cleared his throat to interrupt their very touching moment. "Ben, I have to get going. Mal, if Evie asks tell her that I might be a little late to our date… I have to stop by my dorm to change and grab a few things, okay?"

Mal nodded and waved at him. "I'll let her know."

Ian glanced at Mal and Ben and said, "I should get going, too. King Ben, it was great to see you. Mal, I'll… see you later?"

Mal cocked her head slightly as he asked the question. Ben clenched his jaw at Ian's obvious interest in Mal, but nodded in response to his statement.

Mal nodded and said, "I would think so. We do have art class together. See you tomorrow, Ian."

Ben bit into his cheeseburger as he saw Ian's shoulders drop slightly.

Mal leaned more into Ben as Ian walked back into the main building and said, "What's got you so worked up, my darling King?"

He nearly choked on his burger before he said, "Let me finish my food and then we can go somewhere more… private."

….

"Is King Ben really taking me to his dorm room so that we can spend some _alone_ time together?" Mal whispered teasingly against Ben as they walked hand in hand to his dorm room.

He tightened his hold on her hand and pulled even closer against his side. "That's exactly what I'm doing," he murmured against her temple.

Mal's eyes widened and she became flustered at the idea. "I – um…"

He raised an eyebrow at her sudden lack of words before letting out a chuckle. "You know that I would never do something that you don't want. I would never pressure you, Mal."

Mal shook her head and said, "It's not that. Ben, you are so… good. I could never think that you would pressure me. You're just so… direct tonight. Are you sure you're okay?"

Ben unlocked his door and opened his door. He motioned for Mal to go first before stepping in and closing it behind him. "I'm fine. I'm just a little stressed with King stuff… and I did get a bit angry when I saw Ian tonight."

Mal turned to him as soon as he uttered that statement. "Ian? Why?"

Ben sat on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. "The way he looked at you… How he made you laugh…. Not to mention, he's more your style than I am."

Mal dropped her backpack next to his desk before walking over to him. "My style?"

"Yes, your style. He draws and everyone knows he's not exactly exceptionally good. Me, on the other hand, I have to be exceptionally good. He understands things like tags while I was raised to see them primarily as vandalism." Ben watched her eyes clear up, which was a sign that she understood.

She straddled his lap, which took Ben completely by surprise and caused him to fall back on his hands. She slipped her hands under his suit jacket and ran them up until she reached his neck. She smoothed his hair back and lightly pushed it back from his forehead.

"You're wrong. I'll admit that some of those things are true, but those are also some of the reasons why _you're_ my style. I don't want to be with another me, or as close as you can get in Auradon. I lived on isle full of guys like me, Ben. I didn't want any of them. They're boring and they make me feel nothing – no interest or pleasure. You make me better. I want to be better. I don't want someone that _I'll_ make worse, and with you, I know that you'll never falter. You have values and virtues that I admire, Ben, and we may have things that we disagree with. That just makes things more interesting, don't you think?" Mal gazed into his eyes and said the entire speech without breaking it. Her voice lowered near the end to reach a murmur, and he once again had to stop the urge to reach up to lower her mouth onto his.

He had to think things through. While he wanted to do that, he didn't want her to think that he was just a hormonal teenager.

He nodded in response and said, "I'm sorry. It's just that seeing you with him made these thoughts resurface…"

Mal leaned in to whisper in his ear, "King Ben, were you jealous of Ian?"

Ben let out a growl before his arms encircled her waist and grounded her against him. "There are more Beast traits still in me than you know, Mal."

Mal grinned devilishly before wrapping her arms around his neck and said, "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"And, you should know that possessiveness is one of them." Ben leaned in closer until their noses grazed.

"And, you should know that, as the daughter of a villain, I am also quite possessive." Mal whispered before letting her forehead fall onto his.

Ben's eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips, and within a few seconds, he did what he had been dying to do for past two hours.

...

 **A/N: This one got slightly out of hand. I originally intended it to be very disney-like - so no kissing or sexual tension, but it just became that way.**

 **I might continue this and make it a series of one-shots. I don't know yet, but I do have this other story circling around in my head.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **totestoots**


	2. Aggression

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for reviewing, following, and favorite-ing! This one is longer than the other one, but it's also more suggestive. Nothing worthy of the M-rating, but definitely more than the last one. (You've been warned!)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants.**

 _Summary: Ben was known to have a short temper when he was overwhelmed and stressed. He was known to escape to the Enchanted Lake every once in a while to destress. Then, he discovered a new remedy. / Or, the one where Mal gets suspicious about Ben sneaking around. Then, she decides to help Ben herself._

When Ben was a child, he was always monitored to see the effects of the Beast curse. The curse itself left side effects on his father, and doctors and specialists had guessed that the duration of the spell caused his genetic makeup to change slightly. Adam was not as aggressive as he had been as a beast, but there were still times when his control slipped. And, for the first four years of Ben's life, they believed him to be free of the genetic mutations. Then when Doug had been pushed Chad down the slide, which caused Doug's arm to break, Ben let the aggression and anger overcome him. He screamed at Chad and pushed him down onto the ground. While it seemed like fairly mild reaction, the act was seen as very strange by his parents and the specialists. Ben was normally very patient and understanding when it came to others, and he was normally the one preventing fights rather starting them. From then on, they knew that certain things would trigger Ben. They worked with him to find ways to overcome them rather than shutting Ben in a room and forbidding him from seeing anyone.

As Ben got older, his coping mechanisms changed. He went from solving puzzles to reading fantasy books to escaping to the Enchanted Lake, where a quick swim seemed to bring everything into perspective.

Mal, however, had not heard about the side effects and genetic mutations. From what she saw and knew, Ben was the perfect king and completely incapable of having any beast characteristics. (Apart from the occasional roars he playfully let out, of course.) Ben, not wanting to scare her away, had been going to the lake more frequently in fear that he'd lose control and she'd see who he really was or could be.

Ben didn't want to keep this from her. In fact, he craved her advice and he constantly felt the need to tell her. But the fear was too great. He could just imagine the fear in her eyes, and the following consequences of his actions.

 _Mal backing away in fear before breaking up with him…_

Ben shook his head to clear it, before turning back to the weekly reports provided by his advisors. He didn't know what to do about the restlessness seeping into the lower income parts of the city. He ran a hand through his hair, _this is just the city – imagine the entire country!_

This needed to be fixed soon – he absolutely loathed the idea of his people being unhappy. But, he also needed to read through all petitions handed to him by the council for appraisal. Those didn't even include the ones he needed to read through for the final approval and signature!

 _This paperwork will be the death of me,_ Ben thought as he glanced at his clock, _and look at that – it's already 7 o'clock._

….

Mal was getting suspicious of Ben's behavior. Lately, he always seemed to be sneaking off to some place at the strangest times. A week ago, he had only come out of his office to grab a bag before heading out.

She didn't want to fall into the crazy girlfriend category, but she was truly starting to feel anxious. She had no idea where he went or who he went with and she beginning to think of the worst.

 _Maybe it's Audrey… What I did_ was _horrible. What if it's someone else? Kings are known for having a double life…_

Not even Belle's reassurance could quell the doubts springing up in Mal's mind. Evie had also tried by telling Mal that it was easy to see that Ben loved her – that Ben would never knowingly cheat on anyone, especially her.

Mal's doubts had grown so much that when Ben exited his office that evening, she immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the gardens.

While he looked torn, he quickly rushed to apologize. "I'm sorry, Mal, but I'm really tired and I was hoping to go to sleep as soon as possible."

Mal turned to face him as they walked down the steps, and her eyes quickly narrowed. He was sure he saw the color darken in warning. "Don't lie to me, Ben. I understand that you need to sleep, but can you just come with me first please? I really need to talk to you."

She continued to pull him until they made their way through some of the gardens. They didn't stop until they reached the bench that overlooked the roses.

Ben's mind, however, was far away. _Talk? Talk about what? Is she going to break up with me? No, those must be my fears from earlier talking._

She pushed him to sit on the bench before taking a seat next to him. She was pressed against him with her hand in his as they took in the sight of red, pink, and white roses in front of them.

"Ben," she started. "What is going on? What won't you tell me?"

Ben immediately turned to her in surprise. "What?"

"Oh, Ben, please! I'm not stupid. I see how you disappear almost once a week! Your mother refuses to tell me, and she assures me that it's nothing – that you love me and would never… do anything to hurt me. But, I can't help it! I have these nagging thoughts that you've found someone else. Tell me, Ben, right now before I dig myself in a hole that I won't be able to escape." Mal rushed to explain, while pulling her hand away and making wide gestures with her arms. She kept her eyes glued to the ground, though, as was her nature when she felt vulnerable.

Ben was left speechless. He had done all of this to protect her and himself, but it had all gone wrong. The last thing he wanted was for Mal to get hurt. He turned to look at her, to implore her to forgive his foolishness, but her chin was tucked against her chest. Her hair acted as a shield, but he knew that she was staring at the ground. He quickly got to his knees before her as he sought out her gaze.

He slid his hands up her legs as he murmured, "Mal? Mal, look at me."

Mal sniffled and raise her head slightly to meet Ben's eyes. Her usually bright, riddled with mischief and amusement emerald eyes were a dark jade and were glassy with fresh tears. Ben's worry increased. Mal never cried. This was how bad he got her.

 _Oh, no, what have I done?_

"Oh, Mal… don't cry, love. I'm sorry for causing you all of this worry and unhappiness. Mal, I could never find someone else. I know that I haven't been the best boyfriend recently, and that this is my fault. But, Mal, I love you. I will always love you. There is no going back for me. I need you to understand that, and I… want to know if the same can be said for you."

Mal sniffled and wiped her cheeks swiftly. "Oh, Ben, I love you too. I'm sorry for doubting you, but this whole love thing is new to me. I don't know if and when love ends." Ben glanced down as if taking that as is his answer. Mal cradled his head and pulled his chin up so that he could gaze into her eyes and see the truth. "Ben, I love you so much. You taught me how to love and be loved. I will always love you no matter what."

Ben's eyes glanced from side to side, as if he was carefully reading her expression. Slowly, he rose up and took a seat next to her. "Mal, there's something I need to tell you. Promise me to tell me if absolutely anything bothers you. If you feel fear, tell me. Don't keep silent because you think it'll protect my feelings."

Mal nodded slowly and inched closer to him. "Ben, just spit it out. Whatever it is, I'll be fine."

Ben shook his head. "Not with this. Mal, you know that my dad still suffers from some of the side effects form the Beast curse right?"

Mal nodded. "He becomes aggressive sometimes. I've seen it, and your mother is very good at calming him down."

"Well, when I was four years old and I had an episode, doctors concluded that I would suffer from some of the side effects. The duration of the spell caused his genetic makeup to change, and I inherited some of it. I don't experience as many of them or as often, because most of my personality reflects my mom, but they're there." Ben took a deep breath before continuing. "These past few weeks, it's been stressful. I usually tend to get a tad bit aggressive when I get overwhelmed, and I've been trying to keep myself in control around you. The Enchanted Lake helps me calm down, so that's where I've been disappearing to. I'm so sorry, and I understand if you think that I'm…"

"Amazing?" Mal finished for him. "Because I have news, Ben, I already think that."

Ben shook his head and opened his mouth to start again, but Mal threw her arms around his neck and hugged herself to him. "Ben, I would never e _ver_ judge you about something like that. I'm Maleficent's daughter, remember? This is not your fault. You don't have to hide yourself from me, and I doubt you'd ever hurt me even when you're a bit aggressive."

Ben wrapped his arms around her and he held her as tightly as he dared to. "I was so worried that I'd freak you out and you'd run away in fear."

Mal pulled back slightly with a chuckle. "Just like when you ran away in fear when my mother appeared, turned into a dragon, and threatened everyone's lives?"

"I was frozen for half of that." Ben mumbled.

"Yet, when you unfroze you were ready to fight all of my battles. Were you or were you not?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

Ben sighed and nodded. "I would do anything for you, Mal."

Mal leaned in close and whispered, "As would I, my King."

Ben's eyes fluttered to a close as he brushed a quick kiss against her lips. The simple touch, which was barely there, left her breathless and wanting.

 _Oh God, how she wanted him._

Somehow, with the lightest touch he told her everything she needed to know. She felt her chest tighten with the familiar intense feeling of love for this man, as she tried to reign in her desire.

Ben pulled away with just enough strength before saying, "No fear?"

"None," she promised. She blinked her eyes open slowly as a smile he knew too well erupted, "Besides, I like you more now."

Ben's eyes widened as she neared her lips to his. They didn't meet, but their breaths mingled as one as their noses grazed lightly against each other. He fought the urge to bring one of her legs over his lap to the other side of him. He fought against his sudden want of having her straddle his lap and bringing her against him, here in the middle of the royal gardens at a time when they could be seen. Her voice lowered to an incredibly seductive level as she murmured in his ear, "I like the idea of you being aggressive. The thought of you being a tiny bit aggressive and _bad_ turns me on so much."

He groaned at that and said, "Mal, someone could see us."

She grinned down at him and said, "I know. Don't worry, your majesty, I don't particularly enjoy the thought of sharing you with the entire kingdom if we were to do something here in plain sight of reporters…"

Ben shook his head at her train of thought, but he had to admit that he liked her no-sharing policy.

….

The day that Ben first blew up on Mal started out like a normal day.

It was a Saturday, and Mal got up early to get a head start on homework she'd been putting off for the past week. She got through half of it before deciding that it would be much more enjoyable once her stomach stopped rumbling. She pulled Evie out of her dress-making frenzy – the Spring Ball was coming up – so that they could go to the dining hall together.

As they walked, Evie rattled off a list of names of people who were going to the dance. "Mal, how can you not care? Doug still hasn't asked me!"

Mal sighed. "Evie, he will. Be patient."

"Patient? I've been patient, Mal. The Spring Ball is a week from today! Do you know how long it takes to make a dress? Ugh!" Evie looked like she wanted to pull her own hair out, but Mal doubted she would dare to pull even a single strand out of place.

Mal shook her head and said, "He will, Evie. Trust me."

Mal made a mental note to deliver some helpful hints to Doug before the end of today. Evie would drive herself crazy if she didn't hear from Doug.

Evie sighed and made a hand gesture to signal that she was trying to pull herself together. Than a second later, she was sporting a smile. "So, Mal, how are things with Ben?"

Mal smiled slightly. "Good. Uh, I mean, great. He's great."

Evie raised an eyebrow at her word vomit. "Okay… Are things better now? You didn't tell me things ended with the whole sneaking off thing."

Mal's eyes shot to the ground. Was this even her secret to share? Evie was her best friend and Mal knew her to be very trustworthy, but Ben was her boyfriend and the King. Could she divulge this information?

No, she couldn't.

"We… resolved things. It turned out to be harmless. He likes to Enchanted Lake a lot to destress, you know? He thought it was weird and he was embarrassed." Mal shrugged as she spoke to seem more natural. It was the partial truth, and that was okay, right?

Evie's eyes appraised Mal's sudden stiffness and decided not to push her. "It's okay if you can't tell me everything, Mal. I understand that you can't tell me everything." Evie's eyebrows furrowed at thought of how fast Mal and Ben's relationship was developing, but before she could drown herself in the thought she thought of her own relationship with Doug. There were things she didn't tell Mal because they were things Doug only wanted her to know. Evie's expression bright and she bumped hips with Mal as she giggled slightly, "How did you guys resolve things exactly?"

Mal groaned and fought off a smile. "It wasn't with _that,_ Evie! I will admit, though, that the bench in front of the rose beds is special now."

Evie's mouth fell open as they joined the back of the line. She absentmindedly grabbed two plates and gave one to Mal before they moved through to pick out what they wanted for breakfast. "Mal Bertha, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Mal rolled her eyes and shushed her as people turned slightly, obviously poised to listen in. "I'll tell you later."

…

Ben was not having a good day. Half of the country was practically threatening to strike! He ran a hand through his hair for the thousandth time that day as he looked over the most difficult petition. It seemed that people in the rural areas in the country wanted better schools. He may have been King for a couple of months now, but he had no idea that the country had a problem with its schooling.

 _What good king doesn't know what's going on in his kingdom?_ He could practically feel the deep stare of silent frustration from his father. _Oh god, what am I going to do?_

He sighed as he started a whole new pile of petitions – the ones he deemed the most important. He moved on to the next and he started to feel his already bad mood slip into something slightly darker. Ben just wanted to fix everything for everyone – he wanted everyone to be able to live comfortably and have opportunity to reach whatever their heart's desired.

 _There are so many problems – problems I don't know how to solve!_

A knock on his door brought him out of his reverie. He immediately barked, "Kay, I don't have time for this!"

The door opened a second later to reveal Mal in all her glory. Her eyebrows were raised in question as she said, "I'm not Kay."

Immediately, he felt the guilt spread across his chest. "Oh, Mal – I didn't know…"

She smiled softly. "It's okay. But, why exactly are you screaming at your secretary like that?"

Ben groaned as he leaned back in his desk chair and covered his face in his hands. "So many petitions, Mal… so many of them and I have zero solutions right now."

"Well, you do know the best method to solve your problems right?" Mal cocked her head slightly as she took in his disheveled hair and mess of papers on his massive desk.

He peaked through his hands. "What is it?"

"Take a break. Come on, join me for lunch." Mal motioned her head towards the door.

Ben looked torn. He glanced from the papers to Mal. He loved Mal and he wanted to spend time with her, but he wanted to get a least one petition closer to becoming resolved.

Mal noticed his hesitation and she strutted over to his desk. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up with her. "It'll be thirty minutes tops, and you'll be thanking me later when you work through this paperwork with a clear mind."

He stood with her, and she suddenly became aware of how close they were standing. She gazed into his tired eyes and then glanced at his lips. "Join me, my King."

He groaned and nodded as she reached up to kiss him. "I love it when you call me that."

She placed a small kiss to his cheek and then on his lips and said, "When I call you what?"

Mal once again took his hand in hers and she began leading him towards the door.

"Your king," Ben replied as he let her lead him towards wherever she wished.

Mal shot a smirk his way before cheerfully calling out, "Kay, we're going out to lunch!"

"Bye, Mal! I'll take messages, Ben, don't worry." Kay smiled at the pair before returning back to her paperwork.

…

Mal hadn't wanted to leave Ben alone back at his office. He had insisted that he had a mountain of paperwork to dig through, but she could see him crumbling at the edges. Ben was being pushed to a limit where his mood was enough of an indicator. It was indicator of how close he was to losing control – to giving over to the aggression and anger.

Mal wasn't completely sure that it was safe for her to be around him when it happened, but she also knew that she had to be. She loved him and he loved her, and she couldn't just leave him in the time when he needed her most.

Mal grabbed her small cross-body bag and slipped her phone inside before promising Evie that she would be back soon.

"Mal," Evie called out before Mal stepped out. "Be safe."

Mal nodded and waved at her best friend before rushing out the door towards Ben's office.

She knew something was going to happen tonight. She could feel it in the air while they ate their lunch with few words, mostly because Ben's mind became preoccupied with laws and petitions before they were halfway done with their food. Mal hadn't pushed him because she understood. Being King had to be very difficult – sometimes, Mal couldn't even make good choices for herself. She could just imagine if she was forced to run the entire country.

Mal wasn't afraid of Ben hurting anyone; in fact she was sure that she more likely to hurt someone than Ben ever would be. She was worried about him, though. He wouldn't get much sleep tonight if she didn't pull him away. She knew that he probably didn't even have dinner, so she would probably have to force-feed him before making him go to bed.

Honestly, Mal was hoping that all lights would be off signaling the end of the work day. But, they weren't. Two windows were lit – one of them was Ben's, and the other was probably Kay. She swiftly ran up the steps and entered the building before pausing to peer inside the room that Kay occupied.

Kay was yawning and sipping a cup of water while reading through something that looked very important. Mal didn't want to interrupt, but it didn't look like urgent work was being done. Kay didn't look panicked or in a hurry. Mal shrugged and walked inside. Kay didn't even glance up.

Mal cleared her throat before saying, "Is Ben still here?"

Kay straightened in her chair and nodded feebly. "Yeah, he's quite stressed today."

Mal carefully observed her position and her work. "Kay, is this urgent? Like for tomorrow urgent?"

Kay shook her head in confusion. "No, I'm just here because Ben is."

Mal nodded and said, "Go home. I'll stay here."

Kay's eyes widened. "But – I don't mind, ma'am! Is there a problem with my performance?"

Mal quickly placed her hand on Kay's and said, "No, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'm just saying that this late night seems a little unnecessary for you. You should go home and rest. If you think that Ben will be mad, we can ask him."

Kay nodded slowly before pressing a green button on her telephone that read INTERCOM. "King Ben?"

A muttered, "Yes?" was spoken before Kay's eyes shot up to meet hers.

Without hesitation, Mal pressed the button and said, "Ben, is it okay if Kay goes home? She really looks like she needs to rest."

A beat later, a distracted "Sure" sounded through the room. Mal shot Kay a bright smile and two thumbs up. Kay gratefully smiled at her as she gathered her bag and her food.

"Good night, Mal." Kay murmured, sleepily as she threw her food away and slipped her light jacket on before throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Are you okay to drive, Kay? If you need a ride, I can –" Mal started.

Kay stopped her with, "I'm walking, but thank you. I live a few blocks from here."

Mal nodded and waved. Mal waited until she heard the stop close of the front door before knocking on Ben's door. She didn't even wait to hear his response before she was opening the door.

Ben didn't even remove his eyes from his paperwork before saying, "Have a good night, Kay."

"That's going to be a hard one. See, first off, I'm not Kay." Mal smirked as she closed the door behind her.

Ben's head shot up and Mal knew something was wrong as soon as she saw his eyes. They were dark – almost brown. Then, his response threw her off. Instead of shooting her his usual charming smile and a soft welcome, he just stated her name.

"Ben? Are you okay?" Mal probed as she took a few steps forward.

Ben's eyes hardened and he stood up fiercely. "Am I okay? Do I look okay?"

Mal leaned back in surprise. "Ben – "

Ben came around his desk and began to pace. Mal took in his messy hair and his wide, angry eyes.

"Mal, why are you here? Do you not understand that I'm working incredibly hard to keep this country running?" His voice rose, but deepened at the same time and she realized that she was witnessing a manifestation of one of the traits of the Beast curse.

"Ben, calm down." Mal inched forward with her hands at her side. She didn't know what to do. How could she even attempt to handle this?

"Don't tell me to calm down!" He yelled and visibly trembled in anger.

"Ben, please!" Mal begged. She finally reached him and she was afraid of what would happen if she touched him. Would he lash out? Would he actually hurt her?

No, the Ben she knew wouldn't. But was this the same Ben she knew?

Without thinking about it further, she found herself cradling his face as his jaw clenched and he blinked furiously. She softly caressed his cheek before running her hands through his hair.

Soon, he began to calm down. He fell into her embrace and he sniffled against her shoulder. "I could have hurt you."

"You didn't." Mal reasoned.

Ben wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I could have with my strength and anger, but it never crossed my mind. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone."

Mal pulled away slightly and led him to the couch that was placed against the wall. Ben fell without resistance, but he immediately pulled her onto his lap.

With Mal's head tucked under his chin and with his arms around her, he sighed. "I feel better now."

Mal fingered his signet ring that sat on her finger as she said, "You could tell me about all of these things you have to worry about." Mal pulled away slightly so that she'd be able to look into his eyes. "You're not alone, you know. You have me and your parents. We can help you."

Ben smiled softly and said, "I don't ask my parents because, I guess, I'm trying to prove that I can be a good king. I didn't ask you because… I didn't want to bother you with my problems."

Mal turned in his lap and firmly held on to his shoulders as she said, "Ben, I'm sure that they'd love to help you. I'd love to help you. Being King doesn't mean ruling on your own anymore."

Ben nodded and said, "I promise that I'll be more open. Plus, I doubt there'd be a problem with sharing petitions with the future queen."

Mal gaped at him as he grinned at her shocked expression.

Her legs were now on both sides of him and he took the opportunity to pull at her knees to bring her impossibly closer. Mal followed by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed her chest against his chest.

"So, King Ben, what do you plan to do to your future queen?" Mal smirked at his barely muffled groan.

He pretended to think about it, and Mal could swear that her chest was about to explode with the intense feeling of what she could only name as love. Her whole body felt as if it was being expanded or stretched through that feeling and through the familiar feeling of desire coursing through her. The feeling that made her toes curl and her lower stomach impossibly tighter. The combination of the two was almost unbearable. She supposed that that was made it worth it – the combination of the two feelings were almost painful, but it was also exhilarating and it made Mal want more.

"Many, many things…" He murmured against her ear.

 **A/N: Shoutout to Kingson24601! They gave me a great idea to include in my one-shots! (It was the one where Mal says that Ben being aggressive and bad turns her on!) If you have any ideas for a one-shot or simply a theme, please don't hesitate to let me know.**

 **So what'd you guys think of this one? Review please! Follows and favorites are also appreciated! :)**

 **totestoots**


	3. Irrationality

**A/N: New chapter is finally here! Only took forever to write :D**

 **Warning: This is not canon, as I have not seen the new movie fully - it honestly looked terrible, so I'm ignoring it. Also! An M-rated moment at the very end, you've been warned! Not too bad, but still.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Descendants_** **.**

 _Summary: Life isn't all roses and ballads. Sometimes it's rainstorms and fighting. / Or, after a bad prank pulled by Mal and Ian, Ben and Mal have their biggest fight yet._

Ian was going to get her killed. Mal was sure of it. She didn't even know what she was doing here! She cursed her inability to turn down a bet as she shivered in the night air.

"Ian!" Mal hissed. "You're going to get us caught if you don't slow down and be _quiet_!"

Ian simply shot her a teasing look over his shoulder. "Oh, Mal. You've been out of the game for far too long."

Mal's spine straightened and she rolled her eyes. "Please, like you've ever been _in_ the game, _Prince_ Ian!"

"Oh, oh!" Ian's eyes widened. "I'll have you know that my dad – "

Mal rolled her eyes and tried to flatten her body as much as possible against the dormitory hall that led to the main hall. "Yeah, yeah. Your dad stole the tiara meant for your mom, blah blah blah! Your father, _Eugene_ , turned out to be a really good guy in the end. Also, his evilness does not automatically transfer to you. Sorry to disappoint, Prince Ian of the Kingdom of Corona!"

Ian huffed but pressed his body against the wall as well. Mal slowly leaned over to peer down the hall to see if the nightly guards were making the rounds.

"All clear, go! Go!" Mal whispered before doing a dramatic roll into the hallway.

Ian laughed into his hand as he shook his head at his antics. "You know that all we're doing is setting up a booby trap in Carlos and Jay's room, right? You're not 007 here."

Mal rolled her eyes and huffed as she stood. "You want my help or not?"

"Fine, fine. Let's go before the monitor returns."

They crept down the hall and then proceeded to lay traps all along the floor of Carlos and Jay's dorm room. Nothing that would get them seriously hurt, but enough of a disturbance that they knew they'd been pranked.

…

The next day, Mal sat in the dining room hall with Evie and Doug. Evie, for once, had a bone-tired expression on her face. She picked at her food with a pout on her face, while Mal enjoyed the rare quiet time she'd been gifted.

Mal tried to downplay her excitement at the thought of seeing Carlos and Jay after the pranks her and Ian had pulled. She imagined seeing their shocked faces as they walked straight into a piece of yarn that forced a skateboard to roll from under the bed and hit their ankles, causing them to step back right into their true and quite literal trap – the slime. Mal imagined the faces of pure irritation as they stalked towards her table in the back of the dining hall. She hadn't seen them during breakfast, which meant that their plan had gone off without a hitch.

Mal was disappointed to see Carlos walk with Dude on a leash and behind him Jay walking in with his typical charm and swagger as he said ' _hello'_ to the ladies.

Soon enough, they had reached Mal's table and they quickly and unceremoniously dumped their stuff in their seats.

"What's up, Mal, Doug… Evie, are you okay?" Carlos greeted with a smile and then a concerned look at Evie.

Mal turned to Carlos in surprise. It was unusual when Carlos wanted to talk about something that was bothering any of them.

"No, I'm not okay. I've got a runny nose, and rashes breaking everywhere…. I think I'm having an allergic reaction to something. I don't know what, though, and I couldn't get any sleep last night because of it!" Evie sobbed tearlessly and then made her point even clearer as she scratched a bright red spot on the inside of her forearm.

"Evie!" Doug pulled her hand away. "No scratching and you know that, sweets."

Her eyes widened and they glistened with tears. "But… it's so… itchy!"

"Here, Evs, use this." He took the frozen yogurt cup he'd gotten and then pressed the cool side against her rash. Evie's face visibly relaxed at the sensation.

"Evie, maybe you should go to the doctor…" Jay murmured as he stared at the bright red spots.

"Yeah, honey, let's go to the clinic. They'll give you some medicine, c'mon," Doug said as he carefully helped Evie to her feet. Mal gave Evie a small encouraging smile as Evie sniffled and let Doug lead her out of the dining hall.

"That looks bad," Mal mumbled as they all watched them go.

Carlos and Jay shared a look and then turned to Mal. Mal caught their glance and furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"

Carlos rolled his eyes and went back to his food.

The next week, Mal spent it glancing over her shoulder and carefully looking where she was going. After nothing happened, she started to carefully inspect her food and anything she used. Retaliation had to come in some way. It didn't help to see Carlos and Jay's smirk shot at her every morning, either.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ben asked Mal glanced over her shoulder for the third time since they'd started walking throughout the gardens.

"Hmm?" Mal fidgeted with the end of her light purple blouse before she realized he'd asked a question. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm just a little out of it today."

"Today?" He repeated with a raise of his eyebrows before he chuckled slightly. "Mal, I haven't been around that much and even _I_ know that you've been like this the entire week. Just tell me. You can trust me."

She bit her lip as she considered it. "It's nothing. Really, nothing at all. I'll get over it."

Ben shot her a look. "Mal, c'mon. Something is clearly bothering you, but I'll wait until you're ready to tell me about it."

Mal immediately felt the guilt seep into her stomach, but _no_ , no she wouldn't give in. He'd be disappointed in her and Ian for sure, and one thing she couldn't handle well was his disappointment.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just not feeling too good…" Mal trailed off as she spotted Carlos' white spiky hair peeking out from the rose bushes. "How about we go back to my dorm? Or yours? I think I need to lay down for a little bit."

Ben sighed but let her lead him in the direction of the dorms. Mal hurried her step a little, as she figured that Carlos was probably making sure she was out of her dorm so that Jay had a way of knowing when she was going back. After they left the gardens, and with a glance back at the exit, Mal sped up to a light jog.

"Mal, wait, why are we running?" Ben called behind her.

"C'mon, Ben, we have to beat them!" Mal sped up to a sprint as she ran through the courtyard in front of the dormitory and yelled 'excuse me' and 'coming through' as she weaved her way around the students that milling around.

"Beat who?" Ben called back as he followed her.

"Carlos and Jay!" She answered as she took the stairs two steps at a time.

Fairy Godmother shot them bewildered looks before calling out in a sweet voice, " _Be careful_ , children, please. And no running!"

Mal simply yelled an, "I'm sorry, Fairy Godmother!" Then, continued to sprint down the left hallway that led to the girls' dorm. She burst into the her and Evie's dorm to find everything looking perfect. Nothing seemed out of place, and Mal paced around the room without touching anything.

"What's going on, Mal?" Ben panted, and Mal had to hide a smile at his usually always perfectly straight blond hair looking disheveled and slightly damp. Without stopping to explain, she ripped the closet door open and let out a growl at what she saw.

Every. Single. Item. Was. Pink.

That she owned, anyway. Evie's side looked perfectly normal, while hers was just the same shade of pink over and over again.

"Are those… are those your clothes?" Ben's eyebrows were furrowed. Then his eyes darkened. "Did Jay and Carlos do this to you? Why? Mal, I will – "

"Nothing. You will do nothing. This is retaliation, Ben. For a prank I helped Ian pull a week ago, and _god_ they got me good. They know I hate pink. Now, I'm going to have to think of something better… And also, a way to fix this…" Mal paced as she thought aloud, she failed to notice Ben's spine straightening up and his expression darken in anger.

"What did you use for that?" Ben asked, and Mal thought the question strange, but paid no more attention.

"Um, this green slime. Ian used Borax." Mal mumbled. She fingered one of her skirts and groaned, "How am I supposed to fix this?"

"Well, I'm sure _Ian_ can help you figure that out." Ben bit out before basically stomping out of her dorm. Mal's eyebrows furrowed and she called out to him but he kept walking down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.

…

Mal had looked everywhere. His office, the castle, Doug's dorm… everywhere she could think of that he could have possibly gone. And, then, it hit her.

Enchanted Lake. She called for a cab, and then handed him a wad of cash as she requested to be dropped off Enchanted Lake. He couldn't her right near the lake, of course, but he dropped her off at the entrance of the park that she knew well now after all the times that Ben had taken her here. The sun was lower in the sky now, and Mal was worried that she'd be stuck here after sundown with no cell reception. She hurried down the wooden drawstring bridge, faster than she'd ever attempted it before, before running down the path that led to the lake.

There, with his bare back facing her, sat Ben in all his kingly glory.

She knew she'd made a decent amount of noise, so Mal knew that he was still angry – the angriest he'd ever been at her, after he didn't make any indication that he was aware of her presence.

Slowly, she approached him down on the cliff. "Ben?"

"What?" He hadn't moved an inch. "What do you want?"

Taken aback at his sharp tone and words, she paused for a beat. "To talk to you. What else would I want?"

Carefully, Mal smoothed down her dress as she took a seat next to him.

"What about? Your recent escapades with Prince Ian?" His jaw was set and his eyes were darkened to the point where they appeared black.

"Ben, seriously, why do you say it like that?" Mal shook her head. "We're friends, Ben! That's all. _Friends_ pull pranks together and on each other."

"Not my friends." He faced her this time. "My friends don't do that."

Mal huffed. "Yeah, well, your friends… your friends are different, that's all." Mal would've said more, after all she had lots of opinions on Chad and Audrey, but she kept her mouth shut at his angry expression.

"My goody-two shoes friends and I, right, Mal? Is that what you're trying to say?" Ben growled out.

"No! I didn't say that, Ben." Mal's cheeks and hands were starting to heat up and she knew her anger was rising. He was acting so _irrational_.

"Well, you clearly think so! Otherwise, you would have asked me! Or told me when I asked you what was going on!" He exclaimed and clamored up to his feet.

Mal shot up to her feet to and said, "No, _no_! I didn't ask or tell you about it because you're the king! You're Good King Ben, who's never done anything bad ever in his life! Except, date me, I guess."

Mal started to cackle as she was suddenly unable to stop talking. "I hear what they say Ben! Light and darkness, good and bad… You're the light. I'm the darkness. And they don't get it. They don't get why we're together, how _you_ can be with _me_. And… and this proves it. You can't imagine doing this for fun, when I didn't even think twice before sneaking out after curfew!"

Ben's eyes had softened a bit, but after the last tidbit, he stalked forward. "You… and Ian snuck around after curfew."

Mal narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Wow. Not like that, of course! I literally rolled around the floor like 007, Ben."

After a beat, he asked, "What did you use for your prank?"

"Ian made this slime and we forced Carlos and Jay to set up in it through a series of booby traps." Mal was confused.

"For the green slime, what did he use?" Ben stepped forward and his sudden predatory stance made Mal step back slightly.

"I told you! Sodium borate, I think. Borax?" Mal shook her head. "Why?"

"That's what Evie had an allergic reaction to, Mal! I asked the physician and that's what they told me. She had no idea what they were talking about and neither did I, but now I do." Ben could've kept talking, but Mal was no longer hearing him.

She'd hurt her best friend. Unintentionally, but she had. While in her daze, she stepped back from Ben and she was suddenly swallowed by guilt. Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to step back again from Ben. On his part, his anger had evaporated at seeing her reaction. He grabbed her wrist to try to keep her from going. But her heightened emotions made her magic pour out of her uncontrolled. It easily ripped his hand from her wrist and she was able to turn and run back up into the path that lead out.

Mal heard him yelling her name multiple times, but she ignored them as she quickly cast a spell for a motorcycle. She'd learned how to ride one from Ben, and now she easily hopped on and sped away from the lake and headed to the dorms.

She got rid of the motorcycle before anyone could question it and then ran up the steps for the second time that day as she made her way to her dorm. She burst in, and she practically wept at the surprised look Evie shot her. She closed the door behind before she rushed to Evie who was sitting at her sewing station.

"I'm so sorry!" Mal exclaimed. "I didn't – I didn't know! I swear, I'd never do anything to hurt you!"

Mal hugged her tightly and Evie let out an ' _oof_ ' at the sudden contact. "Mal, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

Mal sniffled. "Your allergic reaction – it was me. It was my fault. I pulled a prank on Carlos and Jay with this green slime Ian made, and you're allergic… I didn't know!"

Evie laughed. "It's fine, Mal. Really. I felt pretty bad that day, but the rash is almost gone now and I definitely feel better. Don't even sweat it."

Mal pulled back to look at her. "How can you even say that? I was so careless, and irresponsible…"

Evie rolled her eyes. "You didn't know, Mal. I thought the prank was pretty funny, too. You should've seen their face, Mal!"

"You were there?" Mal furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Doug and I stopped by before breakfast and they were just glaring at us while they tried to get up out of the slime." Evie shrugged. "I was laughing too hard to get a picture."

Mal hugged her again before pulling away and then dropping into her bed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Who told you about it, anyway? Ben?" Evie guessed.

"Yes," Mal mumbled into her pillow. She adjusted her position slightly so that Evie could hear her clearly. "We had this really weird and irrational but so serious fight about it. I think most of it was about my friendship with Ian, though. _Again_."

Evie shot her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, want to talk about it?"

Mal sighed. "No, I'm going to take a nap. If he comes, can you tell him that I don't want to see him?"

Evie nodded but shot her worried looks and Mal shoved off the bed to shrug out of her dress before pulling on some pajama pants and a t-shirt. Then she crawled back into her bed, and disappeared under her comforter – the only part of her visible was her dark purple hair.

…

Mal's soul seemed to have gotten a lot heavier throughout the day, it seemed. Or, her body. She wasn't sure which, but she couldn't for the life of her bring herself to rise fully. She was sure that she'd never slept this much. By the time she did rise, though, she blinked sleepily only to encounter darkness. She groaned and then furrowed into her bed and impossibly soft sheets back again. God, she'd slept the day away.

Her eyes shot back open as she remembered exactly how _her_ sheets felt and how different these felt. The bed was a lot more comfortable, too, and from what she could tell, it was much, much bigger than her twin bed. There was something heavy sitting across her waist, and she glanced down to see a muscled arm that lead to the hand that was tucked in between her waist and the bed. She relaxed slightly as she knew where she was, but dammit, she was still mad. She didn't know how he'd snuck out a sleeping girl out of the dormitory – or how _she'd_ slept through it, but she figured it had required the help of her delinquent friends.

"I'm sorry," Ben whispered against her temple. She tried to hide the shudder that went through her at his sudden nearness.

"You should be." She whispered back.

"I was… I was jealous and confused… and hurt. It all mixed together, I guess, and suddenly I couldn't see straight. I'm sorry I sprung the Evie thing on you like that, it wasn't fair." Ben tightened his hold.

"No, no it wasn't." Mal said, simply.

Ben inhaled and exhaled softly against her ear. "Do you think you can forgive me?"

Mal couldn't stand it any longer. She rolled to face him, still within his arms, and skimmed her nose along his nose. "Yeah. Just… not right now, not tonight."

Ben didn't waste to time as he dipped down to capture her lips with his. Mal wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed her further into the mattress, and his hand dropped down to a tightened hold around her hip, then down to her knee as he brought it up around his hip.

They both groaned softly at the contact.

"It's been too long." Ben breathed. "Way, way too long."

Mal giggled. "It's been _hours_ , Ben."

"It feels like a lot longer than that." Ben growled playfully as she pressed her body impossibly closer to his.

She reached up to whisper in his ear, " _Prove_ _it_."

 **A/N: After some of my reviewers asking for a new chapter, I have finally gotten it together! I can't promise a new one anytime soon, but I already had half of this written up. Again, the M-rating really got away from me and I did try to write beyond that point, but I'm not sure how old my readers are so... yeah. That's where I decided to end it. I don't know what it is about those two characters that always seem to lead in the same sexual-tension direction.**

 **Anyways, as always please review! Let me know how I did. You could send me more suggestions, and I may or may not continue this. I'm not really sure right now.**

 **b &m**


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